The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that domestic crude oil production next year will reach its highest annual average rate of production since 1992 and diesel prices will average less than $4 per gallon in 2013

The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration projects that under current policies, crude oil production in the U.S. will rise sharply over the next decade, while gasoline and petroleum-based diesel use will fall

The price for a gallon of diesel once again rose above $4, with an average 5.8-cent increase at the pump for a national average retail price of $4.03, according to the weekly fuel update from the Energy Information Administration

While nationwide diesel prices at the pump saw a decrease this week, it was a small one. The average price for a gallon of diesel fell only four-tenths of a cents to $3.967, according to the weekly U.S. Energy Information Administration's Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update

The U.S. Department of Energy has lowered its projections for crude oil prices for the fourth quarter and expects diesel fuel to average $4 per gallon during the quarter. The agency is predicting crude oil to remain about the same in 2013, and diesel prices to be slightly lower